Great morning...little Sydney let us sleep almost normally, and Ned joined us at the foot of the bed ...he's been a bit distant, and he Loves to Cuddle, so we worried. Not enough lap time for all! Ted is pret' much always on and in the bed! Who is Sydney you ask? Got a call from a teenager, who had found just the one kitten, can't keep him, everyone allergic...didn't sound promising. No car, so I went there...and found the fab Sydney!! Fearless, smart, demanding, willing to go mano a mano with ANY cat here! He's attacking the sweet and long-suffering Mocha as I write this...Sydney totally rules! Two adoptions on Thursday! Yes, the small fuzzy ones, but what can I say? Folks just can't hep themselves...Only nine weeks old, they are, younger than I usually let them go (at 12 weeks) But balancing that with them not getting adopted as they get older...The adopter is a nice young woman with medical skills and an eagerness to learn and use holistic care...they will have fresh duck for them, and will get the invaluable grinder...Dear friend Connie helped me get my second grant application done!! Easier than the first, and email okay! Yay!! And the little food business is boomlet-ing! One customer even paid extra today! My goal is to get all my 'colony cats' to 100% raw organic. They get about 20-30% now, and the dread kibble for the other 75%. Also one friend and customer could use more than she can afford...

Am always intimidated by forms...but with the help of Friend Connie, finished (!!!) my application for a grant today...(IN triplicate, with attachments y exhibits!)...Oboy! big deal! It's off to Oakland...and we celebrated with her incredible chocolate chili cupcakes! Yes! Also! Was able to get my shelter statistics to go onto the site. don't ask. Very twilight zone getting them to load, till brilliant Basha re-formatted them...that was LONG overdue, and had received a message from Maddie's Fund asking if they'd been posted the same time as they came to me from Basha. Blessed convergence.Dear friend Elizabeth Percer's book is out, to great reviews! An Uncommon Education: get it!! Mine has not come yet! today, for sure!the new Fix Our Ferals clinic will do its first surgeries June 28, 2012! this is huge! The plan is to spay/neuter 5000 in the first year! We fervently hope that this will put a dent in the homeless ones around here! The clinic will have classes, a food bank, free spay/neuter for ferals (homeless) and low-cost for all...happy, happy!!Still need fosters...and adopters...but so relieved to have this grant app out of the way! Now to get my paperwork (adoption forms and medical records) together for the Maddie's Adoptathon grant! And not forgetting the CATS!!

Adoptathon went well...though not as many showed up as last year, even though I did LOTS more advance marketing...they had way more venues this year, which may have diluted the adopters (so to speak) but I'm a happy camper! The little ones, under six months, are not eligible unless altered, and I will not do that to them, so many of the kittens here who might have found homes did not...must speak to the powers that be. The 'must be altered' policy is fine, but when it encourages and rewards this damaging practice of pre-mature spay and neuter..."two months or two pounds" that's terrible! Happier note! Bina had surgery for the tumor on her head. Robust Bina came through like a champ, of course, and now I can remove the smaller ones with the Neoplasene (bloodroot-derived salve) the big one on her head had to be done surgically, as she immediately removed the salve from that one, even with the dread e-collar. Now fighting with the insurance company...first denied claim as said 'no name on invoice'...I asked them to please look again... then they added a deductible...she's been treated for this condition for what, ten years?? After this is finished, I'm canceling the policy...take that, Pets Best Insurance...I do hope they're not all that bad, but it is the nature of the beast! Happiest News!! Friend Susan's cat was shot by a loony neighbor...pellet gun? (The family is trying to keep her in check) and could not use his back legs nor his bladder...HE IS NOW ALMOST COMPLETELY HEALED! Has only a slight limp! He's young, and we are so thrilled, as can be imagined!!! BoBo, grey and white boy...Susan had stepped right up and learned how to express his bladder. After just a few days, she noticed that it was not full!! His spine was not damaged, just the tissue around, and some nerves. How wonderful to see him running around the yard again!!Guess what?? I now have four regular customers for my food (Plus broth & bones)! Not a big money maker, but every bit counts. Have had some wonderful donations, too, and a Tiffany lamp base I'd had for years just sold at auction for a bundle! That check goes to Bee Holistic!

Nice cool day...wuz hot yesterday...long days. But a cool breeze comes up off the bay in late afternoon...getting my grant application finished today (or did tryin!) Admin work ...why do I resist so! Little food business taking off: Four regular customers now! Happy to know that they're getting great food...one reminded me that I needed to include broth and bones (Duh!) so doing that now. This couple is one food customer...live close. Lovely folks!

MarcelloII and Marcella with new family!

The small babies are doing well, after having been thin for a couple of weeks...now rushing to the food...Nothing better than seeing folks eat! They will be two months old on June 22 (were born here) Fuzzy and sweet...still sleeping a lot...with bursts of activity!

If there's a huge space between posts, there's a reason...good news is that we've had seven recent adoptions! All of the five fab kittens from the creek, two and two and the one got a great home with another kitten her own age (eight weeks)! whew! Bottle babies were rescued from me by a cool & smart vet in San Rafael, who works with a fairly holistically oriented rescue in Marin County. They are doing well. I'm just not able to stay up all night!! Bless Dr. Lynne! And the little one had gotten an infected foot from being tangled in wire at birth...the trials these little beings go through! The two black & white beauties were adopted together by a dear friend and member of my board of directors, who lives two doors down!! How cool is that?? NO worries! they are much loved, and still avoiding the dogs...:-)Feeding the cats left when friend Connie moved and could take only three of eight...most of whom had migrated from here..! Sunny is now letting me touch her...LOVES to be touched....and I've working on how to relocate when the new people move into Connie's house...worst case, put Sunny and JuJu into my big outdoor cage for a short time.Friend Susan's cat who was shot, BoBo, is recovering the use of his legs!! Miracle...he is dragging one, but otherwise, as before.

About Cynthia

The founder of Bee Holistic, Cynthia Burke, has been caring for cats most of her life, volunteering with such groups as the wonderful Animal Balance, and Fix Our Ferals. In 2011 Bee Holistic Cat Rescue and Care became a registered non-profit.